Designed after a conceptual vision of a ripple of glass, light and vegetation, The French Biotope Project by Henning Larsen promotes wellness through green space. The 30,000 m2 workspace in Lille features a sustainable structure that maximizes access to fresh air, daylight and green space. Plentiful rooftop gardens with natural light dissolve boundaries between buildings and nature while inside, a broad skylight floods a spectacular atrium.
The roof garden and green wall façade include 14 street tree species, 20 shrubs species, a variety of 30 perennials and even some edibles. Micro wet-zones, nesting boxes, local deadwood and brown roof with organic material further provide habitat for nature in the city. The fully operational office building includes a 300-seat auditorium for conferences, multiple meeting rooms, work and relaxation areas, and a panoramic restaurant.
Though initially constructed as a new headquarters for the European Medicine Agency, the building’s structure provides infrastructure for wellness with the project name of Biotope stemming from the ancient Greek term for ‘place of life.’
Clara Stewart, architect within the landscape department at Henning Larsen says, ‘The site of this project is part of a ring of parks, forest and gardens around the city centre, so our main focus was to make the building a continuation of this green belt. We worked with local ecologists to ensure we had a good variety of native trees and plants throughout the building, and we aimed to implement them in a way that helps local well-being. It’s very important to have physical and visual contact with nature.’
